A Blast into the Past
by materiagurl
Summary: Final Fantasy 9. Hentai. My friend and I are sucked into the game while playing it. Our destinies change as we are now characters in the game, and get separated. References to .hacksign. I don't own any of the characters in FF9 or .hacksign. I just play


A Blast into the Past  
  
"No! Kilisan you're going the wrong way! That way is a dead end!"  
  
"Whatever. I'm going in here anyway. There may be a Stellazzio in there," she said as the thunder rolled outside the window.  
  
"sigh Okay." My friend Kilisan and I were really hooked on Final Fantasy IX. I hadn't seen her in forever, and now that we'd both beat the game a time or two, we decided to play it together just for fun. Of course, we fought over who was gonna play when, except when we were in battle. At that point, we could both play. We were all by ourselves in the house. We had a big gallon of sweet tea and a mega bowl of popcorn in the room to keep us company. A weird thing had happened when we got together. For some reason, we couldn't really remember what happened in the game at all. We just remembered the main character and the allies' names, but not their purpose. We remembered bits and pieces along the way, and things began to come together once we were thrown familiar clues. Of course, I remembered more than she did cause I had played it more. Hehe. We had just gone through Burmecia and talked to Atla, the moogle we had to give a letter to. We would be on our way to the castle, but Kili was taking her sweet time. We finally reached the top of the city of eternal rain. "Bout time. Why did we have to go here anyway? Freya said she didn't wanna go back here. This rain is driving me crazy," I said.  
  
"You can't rush genius. We're here because her people are being killed for no apparent reason. See, there's that ugly elephant-lady. And Her." Beatrix. Oh how we hated her. What a show off. I wish she tripped up on a rock sometime in the game and realized what an idiot she was. Meanwhile, Freya was having her flashback about Fratley. "Dude. Why did she let him leave? I'd put a restraining harness on him so he wouldn't get away."  
  
"Yeah right," said Kilisan. "They didn't have those in medieval times. At least not in that size." At the same time, we were confused as to why the main character looked so girly. "Man, I'm still convinced that Zidane's a girl. He needs to cut that hair…"  
  
"Oh please. You know you have a crush on him," said Kilisan. I blushed a deep red and turned my head from her view quickly. "Whatever. What's with that tail anyway? He looks weird."  
  
"Yeah," Kilisan agreed. Just as she said that, a tall man in purple and white garments outlined in gold strutted onto the scene.   
  
"Who is THAT?!" Kilisan and I said in unison. "Hey, back off. I saw him first."  
  
"Hey, what makes you think that person is a guy?" I said.  
  
"I just know, okay? Besides, you seem to have laid your eye on the monkey."   
  
"Man, whatever. I never said that! He hardly looks human. He's just weird." During this, we were pressing the confirm button, totally ignoring the conversation at hand, unless the person, who was finally given the title of 'Mysterious Man' was talking. "See?" said Kilisan. "You're too smart for your own good," I said. Kilisan smiled evilly. "Hey, cut that out!" I said. She laughed.  
  
At this point, Zidane and Freya jumped down to save a fallen Burmecian. Vivi finally ran in to join them. Beatrix interfered. The little bee-otch. Thankfully, before she wiped our party out, we managed to steal all valuable items from her, which I recalled that I could never do when I played before. So, there was our party, gasping for breath, the rain pouring harder and harder. Something had just occurred to me. "Hey, Kili. Where did that fat pig go?" She was assuming that I was speaking of Brahne. She shrugged. Just then, the screen showed close-ups of our characters struggling in the rain. Footsteps appeared and as they got closer, I admired the classy buckles on the well-kept shoes. Finally the person in question came into view. Kuja. He wiped his damp hair back out of his face with a delicate right hand. The camera zoomed back. Kilisan and I felt our mouths drop open as we were completely consumed by the man's figure. "Whoa…" I said aloud. The dude was practically exposing himself with that codpieced-skirt of his! I almost melted into a puddle, but something woke me from the dream- Kilisan's fist, bearing into my arm. "HEY! I called him First!" she said. I blinked three times fast, then looked at her with defending eyes. "Geez. That hurt. Anyway, it doesn't really matter. It's not like we'd ever meet somebody like that in real life," I said as Kuja flew away on his silver dragon, as the FMV ended. Kilisan sighed heavily. "Yeah…" Just then a crack of lightning struck on the game. "Hey! Kilisan! Did you see that?"  
  
"Yeah," she said seriously.  
  
"Dude! That wasn't sposed to happen!!" I said worried.  
  
Kilisan kept herself quite calm, and it was almost scary to me. "Yeah. I don't remember that occurring at all when I played."  
  
"Me neither." Before I could say more, a similar lightning bolt struck the house, sending electric rays into the tv and out through the controllers we were holding.  
  
"AAAAAAAaaaaaaHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" we said, thinking that we were going to die. I closed my eyes and prayed that it would end quickly and that I'd have a safe trip to heaven. Unfortunately, I landed with a huge THUD. "Ow! Damn, that hurt," I said as I rubbed my butt where it hurt most. As I did this, I felt something in the seam of my pants. I pulled out something hard and slender. I eyed the object. 'A screwdriver?… Oh, I remember…I was using it when the storm hit.' As I held it, I noticed that my skin was different! My hand looked all pasty like those characters you see in video games. But, I decided to lessen my complaining as I noticed that I had quite a slim figure. 'Man, this is cool,' I thought. My clothes were slightly baggy! I put the screwdriver in my back pocket, thinking it might come in handy later, as I heard a voice not so far away. Hey, I thought I heard something. Over here. ''Oh crap. Now, what do I do?' I thought. Suddenly a heap of clothes fell at my feet. I looked at it in wonder. 'What in the world?' The heap sat up, and adjusted his hat a bit. I found myself looking into a pair of yellow glowing eyes. He looked as frightened as I did. "U-um, hello," he said. His greeting sounded friendly. I smiled, "Hello." The little guy shrunk back slightly. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you," I said. "What's your name?"  
  
"U-um…" he uttered his name to me and I froze with my eyes widened. "W-what did you say?" I said.  
  
"U-um, my name is Vivi…" he said again. 'No. I was dreaming. He said that he was Vivi. The legendary black mage from Final Fantasy IX! My face remained in that state of shock and confusion. This slightly irked the mage. "D-did I say something wrong? Is there something wrong with my name?" Hearing his voice tremble in fear I quickly blinked back to normal. "No, it's just…I…" Before I could say more, I heard a voice. The very same that scared me a moment ago. "Hey, Vivi. What did you find?" It was Him. Man, he looked so much cuter in person. Wait a minute, what am I thinking?! Am I actually INSIDE the game? Oh, this is weird…  
  
Vivi turned to face Zidane, and in doing so made it easier for him to see past Vivi and caught a glimpse of me. I could barely hear him whisper something to Vivi. It sounded like 'Wow! Vivi! You found yourself a chick!' With Vivi's back turned to me I couldn't tell that he blushed at that comment. Zidane walked around him and came up to me, offering a hand. I hesitantly accepted, still in awe of my surroundings. "Hey. I'm Zidane," he said after pulling me up. "Where did you come from?"  
  
I struggled with words. How was I suppose to explain it to him when I hardly knew myself? "I…uh…um…well…" I found myself lightly blush on my cheeks as he gazed into my eyes. He smiled and looked me up and down. I had on the same clothes as I did in the house. I had on one of those pretty blouses that had the sleeves that looked like they were ripped on the sides, revealing parts of my arms. I was wearing a belt with the stylish Capri pants I had on with my matching low top Soda tennis shoes. My hair was lighter than his, and was pulled back in a long pony tail past my shoulders. I had long bangs in front, shaping my face, which were a result of major split ends from the last time I had my hair layered. It just occurred to me. 'Hey, this guy is checkin' me out. Pssh. Sounds like Zidane…' But then again there weren't many men that checked me out. I smiled to myself with that wonderful thought in my head, but looked at him suspiciously. "What're you doing?" I asked, sounding slightly peeved.  
  
"I, uh, was just making sure that you weren't hurt," he said, recovering from my comment. "Sure you were," I said sarcastically. "Now, let's see…" I said to myself, walking past him. He turned quickly. "Hey. Where are you going?" I stopped in my tracks, annoyed from him interrupting my thoughts. "I'm sorry. I have to find my friend." 'Now where did Kilisan go? Did she get pulled through too? Or maybe I left her in the house? Man…this sucks…what would I do without her?' My thoughts were interrupted by him again. "Who's your friend? Maybe we can help you find him. Why don't you join us?" said Zidane.  
  
I thought about his request. "Wellll, I guess it couldn't hurt to tag along with you guys. I'm sure I'll run into her."  
  
"HER?" he said in surprise, tail swishing wildly.   
  
I turned to face him. "Look. Don't get the wrong idea. She's not your type," I said roughly. "Besides, I thought you were trying to get with Garnet…"  
  
"Wha? How do you know about Garnet?" he said evenly. "And how could you possibly know about my type of woman?"  
  
'Oh shit. Now what have I done?' "……"  
  
Vivi walked up to me. He looked at me closely, with his cute little eyes. Even though I couldn't tell, he was smiling underneath his hat. He turned back around in little steps to face Zidane, knowing that if he turned too fast, he would surely fall. "Zidane…I really don't think she's a bad person. She seems really nice, actually."  
  
Zidane put his hand to his chin, in his famous thinking pose that I had grown to love, though I kept it to myself. "Alright…if it's okay with Vivi. Yeah?" He said turning to Freya, who remained resolute the entire conversation. She had her arms folded. Perhaps she was studying me. Knowing how Freya was, I took the first move. I walked up to her. "Miss Freya. It is an honor to finally meet you. I hold you in high respects as the amazing Dragon Knight," I half-bowed, with my arms folding to my front and back. "My name is Xirkyn. I come from a land far away in search of my friend. I would be honored if you would allow me to journey along your side." Zidane looked at me funny when I did and said this. Freya nodded her head. "Greetings, Xirkyn. It is good to meet you." She knelt down and bowed her head. "Forgive me. But, now is not the time to talk. We must hurry on to Cleyra."   
  
"Agreed," I said in complete comprehension. "I shall aid you all in any way possible." 'I'm just glad that stupid knight isn't with them…' I mumbled under my breath, as Freya took the lead.  
  
On the way, Zidane still had mixed feelings towards me. "Okay, so…you uh, know what's gonna happen in the future?"   
  
"Yes. I guess you'd call me a psychic."  
  
"Huh? What's that?"  
  
'Oh yeah. I forgot we were back in the Renaissance era.' "Um, let's just say that as long as I'm here you won't be lost," I said, a bit too confidently. Everyone but Vivi gave me an awkward eye. "Wh-what I mean is that, uh…"  
  
"Look, Xirkyn. We're all friends here. But I want to make sure that you're not gonna turn on us," said a cautious Zidane. "So, tell us. What exactly, do you know about us?" My memory hadn't totally been restored. I just had a feeling that the further we got, the more I'd know from context clues. "Well, um, I can't really say..."  
  
"Oh?…and why not?" Zidane pushed.  
  
"Welll," I said, nervously, "I don't want to meddle in your affairs. Besides, perhaps now that I am here things may become different than they appear…"  
  
"What is THAT supposed to mean?" said a frustrated Zidane, his tail lashing back and forth.  
  
Freya held an arm up to stop everyone from walking. Zidane wasn't paying attention and ran into her arm. "Hey!" he said, shaking his head. I looked up at Freya. "This is it," she said.  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Zidane said and darted off.  
  
"Uh! I don't understand him…" I said, watching Zidane dash away, trying his best to look heroic. "We need to take caution." However, I stopped talking when I noticed that Freya had ran from my side and caught up with Zidane. I sighed. I looked down next to me. My face crinkled up in surprise as I noticed that Vivi was looking at me, waiting patiently for my decision. So not to mislead him, my expression quickly changed and I closed my eyes and smiled a bright smile at him. "Well, we better join them. They need us."  
  
"U-uh huh," said Vivi, as we ran toward the sandy tree house.  
  
Before we got to the entrance, I heard rustling a little bit away from where we were. I gasped and looked around.  
  
"What is it?" said Vivi. "Is it a monster?"  
  
"I don't know…it's a strange feeling…I must know what it is," I said, not recognizing this from the game. I turned around swiftly.  
  
"W-wait. Let me go with you in case you need help."  
  
I smiled at him. "Thanks, Vivi. But I think you should continue on and help them. I have a bad feeling something's going to happen to Cleyra. Tell them that I had to do something, and I'll be there soon."  
  
"A-alright," said Vivi, almost feeling rejected.  
  
I put my hands on his shoulders and looked deep into his illuminated eyes. "Vivi. I know you want to protect me. I don't want you to get hurt in the process. Don't worry. I'll be alright." And I ran off towards a nearby forest. Suddenly I heard a growling sound, and a cry for help. "Oh no!" I cried. "Someone's in there!" I became light on my feet, and skidded to a stop, as I almost ran into a huge purple monster that looked strikingly familiar. 'A Behemoth…' I thought. 'I wonder how he got in the forest…' "Hey, you! Why don't you find a meal elsewhere!" I threatened and threw a rock at the immense beast. He growled dangerously and turned to me.   
  
"Oh shit…" I whispered in fear. "Now what?" Then I remembered the screwdriver in my pocket. I pulled it out. I noticed that it probably wouldn't be able to handle the job. The only thing that it might be useful for is killing oglops. I saw quite a few along the way and they wouldn't leave me alone. "Well…it's worth a try."  
  
"RRRAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!"  
  
"AaaaaaaaHHHH!!!!!!!!" I screamed and braced the screwdriver in front of me, trying to shield myself with it, looking pretty pathetic. Suddenly, it began to glow.   
  
"What?" I said in surprise. The screwdriver began to shake in my grasp, and gradually multiplied in size. "Whoa!" The puny screwdriver had somehow morphed into a really cool sword! Well, the handle was still that of a screwdriver, but it was definitely useful now.  
  
"Alright," I said with confidence. "Show me whatcha got." And I darted forward and gashed it in the side. It hardly phased the monster, and he charged his Heave attack on me. I was headbutted into the air and crashed back down, putting a big dent in my health points, which I obtained when I was transported here. I lay there for a minute, gasping. Thankfully, before he tossed me, I managed to blind him by throwing some dirt in his face. The Behemoth clawed desperately at his face to clear his vision.   
  
"Now…what?" I said, gasping for breath. I could hardly move. I thought of Vivi, and how maybe he was right. I should've let him come. I was done for. I put my arms over my face because I didn't want to watch as the Behemoth came and destroyed my feeble body. But as I did this, I saw a gleam in my hand. "Huh?" I pulled my hand back. I looked closely and noticed that the rings on my fingers were sparkling, like they had life in them. 'This just keeps getting weirder…' I thought. Two on each hand. They were jem stones- the very same rings from when I was still on earth. Perhaps here they possessed some sort of power, like my screwdriver. I focused on the rings- Sapphire and Emerald on one hand, and Amethyst and a Topaz on the other. "Hey. I know what this is…" I said and smiled. Suddenly, I heard a growl, hinting that the Behemoth was ready to attack again. I said a prayer and held up my left hand in a fist, activating the green ring. Twinkling rays of a strange green glowing light surrounded my body, almost looking like some sort of life force. I stood up and realized that I was fully recovered- although, it would take time for the gashes to sew up.   
  
"This must be…the legendary materia from Final Fantasy 7...hey, you've got nothin' on me, you scumbag!" I said, running back towards the animal. He spun, swiftly lashing his tail at me. I gracefully dodged it with a back flip and discovering my new power, I called on the yellow ring to help me defeat the animal in four swift damaging blows to the chest. The monster screamed in pain and dropped to the ground and dissolved.  
  
"Phew…" I said, wiping sweat from my brow. I saw something move 20 feet away. "P-please…help……me…" I gasped and ran quickly to the voice. I didn't see the person before because they were behind the Behemoth, apparently attacking from the other side. As I approached, I saw that it was a boy, perhaps my age. I gasped again, noticing that he was injured very badly. "Just hold on," I said supportively. "I can heal you."  
  
"No…I'm fine…thank you for…coming out here…"  
  
My eyes widened as I recognized his silvery white hair, but something was different. I knelt down to the left of him. I put my hand down, grazing over something. I looked down and picked up a tattered hat. "You…you're…"  
  
"Yes. That's right…" he said. "And I know who you are too…"  
  
"But…how can that be?" I asked.  
  
"I know…that you are one of my greatest fans…" he smiled, then suddenly cried out in pain.  
  
"Tsukasa…how did you get here?" I said.  
  
"There's…no time…you must go…go help them…"  
  
I knew he was referring to Zidane and the others. "But…Let me heal you…you can come with me…"  
  
"No…my purpose has been met…I can't stay here for long…I don't belong here…I was only allowed here long enough…to meet you…" he said.  
  
I felt tears beginning to form in my eyes. I took his right hand and grasped in my two hands. "Tsukasa…" I said, as the tears fell.  
  
"Don't mourn for me…I knew…this would happen……Don't worry…I will…return to my world. But first…I…have something…for you…"  
  
I blinked to clear my vision. "W-what is it?"  
  
"H-here…take…th-this…" he said, struggling to talk. He reached over, gasping in pain and grasped his staff. He took his hand and with all his strength, pulled out the jewel resting in the staff. I quickly took the Garnet orb from his severed hand. "Thank you, Tsukasa."   
  
"Wait…" he said in fear, struggling to get up. I gasped, noticing he was in pain and helped him sit up. He looked into my eyes. "Please accept this power as my thanks." He took my hands and clasped them together with his own. Suddenly, a great wind rushed through and the trees were brutally blown. A strong power surged through him and was past through his hands to mine and into my body. "Aaaah!" I yelled as I began to feel pain. I closed my eyes tightly and prayed. It lasted for a few moments, and then the wind died down. He watched me sadly as I shook with pain. "Are you alright, Xirkyn?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm okay. I now know what to do."  
  
"Good," he said with happiness and smiled gently at me. "You m-must go now…" he said. I looked at him again in sadness and hugged him. He gasped in surprise when I did this, but then smiled and hugged me back. "T-take…care…of…your…self…" he said in short breaths as I gently laid him back down. More tears fell from my eyes. Without uttering another word, I grasped the hat and ran out of the forest. I looked at the Garnet that he had given me and suddenly remembered what it was for. However, I didn't know what to do with it. I stopped and took out the screwdriver and it automatically transformed. I squinted my eyes and noticed there was a slot on the hilt. 'This wasn't here before…' I thought. Experimenting, I placed the orb into the slot and it made the sword emanate. Suddenly the sword shrunk back into a screwdriver. I stuck it back into my pocket and sprinted towards Cleyra.  
  
I finally reached the sandy tree house- which to my surprise, wasn't sandy at all. I quivered in fear and again darted into the open vulnerable dwelling.  
  
"But you must listen to reason!" I heard Freya say. "You must conceal yourselves and the children! Danger is approaching, I just know it."  
  
I stumbled down behind her, next to Zidane. He looked down at me to see me grasping my knees and breathing rather heavily. It made him wonder what could have possibly caused me to become so short of breath. He suddenly rolled his eyes as Freya turned to see me hunched over. "Well, where have you been?" she said.  
  
"I...had to take care of some business..." I said plainly.  
  
"Hmph. Trying to play hero, huh?" said Zidane, disappointed because he thought I'd abandoned them, perhaps in attempt to betray them.   
  
Vivi gasped. "Xirkyn! Your arm!"  
  
Suddenly, the two focused on the huge gash in my left shoulder, which had blood trailing down my sleeve, unnoticed by the two a few moments ago.  
  
"Huh? Oh...yeah... Don't worry. It doesn't hurt."  
  
Zidane looked momentarily at the large slit in my sleeve. "You shouldn't go off looking for trouble..."  
  
"Why, You..."  
  
"That's enough, Zidane," said a dominating voice. Zidane, Vivi and I looked up at the strong-willed dragon knight. "We have matters that must be dealt with."  
  
"Freya..." I said with much difficulty. "Did...the strings on the sacred harp...did they break upon touch?"  
  
Freya's eyes widened. "Yes. They did..." she said, looking at me in suspicion. "But...how did you...?"  
  
"I can see the future, remember? It must be why I'm here...although I'm still not sure..."  
  
"Well, that figures..." said Zidane.  
  
I blinked hard. "Where is Prince Puck?" I said, thoroughly ignoring Zidane.  
  
"He's...safe now," said Vivi. "We defeated Antlion."  
  
"Yeah. Look's like we didn't need your help after all," smiled Zidane in triumph. Freya rolled her eyes.   
  
"Look, if you got a problem with me, then just say it, Zidane!" I snapped, to his surprise.   
  
Zidane jumped back in shock and defense. "Geez, it's starting to sound like Garnet all over again..."  
  
Thankfully, someone spoke up before I cussed him out. "Speaking of the princess..."  
  
Everyone turned their attention to Vivi.   
  
"I, u-uh-um..."  
  
"Come on, Vivi! Spill it! Did you see Garnet?" asked Zidane, in curiosity, though I also sensed longing in his voice.   
  
"Well, yeah. I think..."  
  
"Well, whadaya mean, you 'think?'"  
  
"S-She was constantly in motion. I never got the chance to talk to her," sighed Vivi in defeat, slumping his shoulders forward.   
  
"What could she have been doing here?" thought Zidane aloud, putting a hand to grasp his chin in deep concentration.  
  
"I dunno...but it's strange. See...Princess Garnet was acting rather strange..." said Vivi.  
  
"In what way?" asked Freya.  
  
"She just seemed different, I guess," said Vivi, the shyness taking over again. "She was...dressed kinda funny..."  
  
"Hmm..." I said. "Dressed funny, you say..."  
  
"Mmhmm," said Vivi, nodded his head at me. "A-and she was giving orders to the townspeople."  
  
"I wonder..." I thought.  
  
"Well, whatever. I'm not convinced of this game you're playing at," said Zidane. He was obliviously saying that I was mocking Vivi.  
  
"Ha! Zidane, funny how you say something that I have longed to say to you, but not knowing how to say it," Freya smirked.   
  
"What's THAT supposed to mean?" said Zidane, obviously annoyed.  
  
"Aaahh!" I screamed, clutching my head and falling to my knees. I still clutched the hat that was Tsukasa's, as something fell out of it, unknown to myself.  
  
"Xirkyn!" said Vivi, coming to my aid.  
  
"Hmph. Typical form of drawing attention..." he said, folding his arms, not amused.  
  
"Enough, Zidane! This is serious!" said Freya, who had also rushed over. "Her pulse is slipping. She's weak."  
  
"What?" said Zidane. He came over, and knelt down in front of me. "Are you alright, Xirkyn?"  
  
Their voices were like water going down the drain. I couldn't conjure a thought, only focused on what was going on in my head. I saw terrible things that passed through my mind in segments. I finally came to one that seemed strangely familiar and I shuddered.  
  
Zidane had laid a hand on my slightly torn shoulder. "Xirkyn?" he said in concern. "Are you...?" I raised my head and looked up at the sky. Zidane trembled as he saw my eyes expand and contract in an abnormal fashion. I gasped. I looked back down at Zidane, still shuddering. "I-it's coming, Zidane."  
  
"What's coming?"  
  
"Th- they are coming..."  
  
"The black mages!" deduced Vivi.  
  
Freya listened intently and took no hesitation in action. "We must get the people to safety!" she said.  
  
"I'm not so sure it's that serious," said Zidane, thinking that I may be hallucinating.  
  
"No..." I said. "There's too many of them. Freya's right. We must...help them."  
  
"Are you sure about this?" said Zidane, as Freya and Vivi ran off to warn everyone.  
  
"Yes. Please trust me, Zidane. When I separated from you all, I...received a gift. I can sense the darkness."  
  
"The darkness?" said Zidane, confused and baffled at the same time.  
  
"Yes. The ultimate...evil force," I said, struggling to get up. Zidane was still convinced that I was crazy, but grabbed my hand. "C'mon. We better help them."  
  
"Mhmm," I nodded. We ran up to the chapel, where Vivi and Freya had gathered everyone. I looked around at all the people. I closed my eyes in concentration, and as I opened them, now Vivi and Freya had seen what Zidane had, as my eyes pulsated strangely. "No. This will not work. We must get them out of Cleyra."  
  
"But we can't!" said the King. "We must stand our ground."  
  
I shook my head. "I admire your strength and honor, your highness. But you will die if you do not flee quickly!"  
  
"Please, sire."  
  
The king raised his eyes at the familiar voice. "Freya?"  
  
"She may be right," she said, going on instinct alone. "You are desperately needed to restore peace and life to Burmecia."  
  
"I suppose you're right," he said in defeat. The king gave the order to gather into groups and make haste down the enchanted tree. My party rushed out in front to protect them. Then suddenly, there they were. Pointy hats and yellow eyes- walking zombies. Then it occurred to me. They were aware of our strategy. But how?   
  
"Now what do we do?" said Zidane, to practically anyone.  
  
"I don't know..." I finally answered. Suddenly, I fell to my knees again, screaming bloody murder. I could barely register Zidane and Vivi's call as I fell into unconsciousness. They both started to come towards me during the attack but quickly backed off. I was awakened moments later by a very worried Vivi. I looked up and saw Freya- quite distanced from me, along with the unnatural mix of Cleyrans and Burmecians.   
  
"What the hell what that?" said Zidane to me. "Perhaps I was wrong about you. You DO have some power."  
  
My eyes fluttered until I began to blink normally again. "What do you mean?"  
  
Vivi shuddered. "Y-you...m-m-mon...ster..." struggled Vivi.  
  
"What?" I said, sitting up, glancing down at my belt, noticing a strange glow on the newly found jem in the hilt of my screwdriver fading.  
  
"You see, Xirkyn. When you hit the ground, a great monster appeared out of nowhere and annihilated the black mages."  
  
"What?" I said, shocked.  
  
"Yeah, that's what I thought too. It was shooting out its attack, only it transformed parts of its body into little knives. It protected you, Xirkyn."  
  
Then it hit me. The jem on the hilt. Tsukasa's jem. His guardian. Oh dear...   
  
I darted up quickly. "Did it hurt anyone?" I said in anxiety.  
  
"No," said Freya to the side. "What was that thing?"  
  
"It is my guardian," I stated simply.   
  
"You have a guardian?" said Zidane. "How come you didn't tell us before?"  
  
"It was a gift from a friend that I found in the forest before."  
  
"Ah..." said Zidane, finally beginning to understand.   
  
"Well," I said, dusting myself off. "Let's hurry down the tree before it's too late!" I shouted in warning to everyone. They all piled down, with Zidane leading the way and Freya bringing up the rear.   
  
A hand tugged my shirt. "C'mon, Xirkyn," said a frightened Vivi.   
  
"Wait..." I said, hearing something. I looked over my shoulder to see a little girl burmecian holding a little rabbit doll. I walked over carefully. "Hey. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Please come out. Bad people may come here and hurt you. We need to get you some place safe, and we don't have much time." The girl understood, climbed out and nodded. Vivi stood, waiting for me to join them. "Xirkyn?" he said in uncertainty, as I proceeded to pause in thought.  
  
"Okay. Let's go then," I said, taking the little girl's hand and Vivi's. Suddenly, a sharp pain went through my brain. I stopped.  
  
"What is it?" said Vivi.  
  
Something...I felt something...up higher... "Vivi, you go on ahead with her. I'll catch up."  
  
Vivi was starting to realize he couldn't argue with me. "O-okay," he said and began to run down with the child. I ran quickly back up the stairs and to the right. And something caught my eye- in the gazeebo was a note, pinned into the wood by a shiny dagger. The note read:  
  
Greetings. You're attempts are useless. Resistance is futile. You might as well surrender now. The prophecy will be fulfilled, you shall see. The almighty Lord heeds our call. It is only a matter of time.   
  
I was taken aback at the threat, as my eyes widened in shock. "This...handwriting..." I quickly took the note in my hand and shoved it in my back pocket. I heard screams below, obviously coming from the townspeople. I rushed towards the bottom with great haste. Suddenly, I halted abruptly in excruciating pain, falling down the stairs, lying in the place where we found the child. I reached a hand out to grasp the ground and pull myself up. Instead, my hand fell upon a round slender object. "Huh?" I looked up and my eyes widened. "Tsu...Tsukasa..." I grasped the sprite ocarina of Tsukasa's, realizing it must have been in his hat when I picked it up. But, the pain...Cleyra is in grave danger...   
  
"What do I do?!" I screamed aloud. Suddenly, the ocarina gleamed in the sunlight.   
  
'Use it, Xirkyn,' a voice said in my head.  
  
My eyes widened. "Tsukasa?"  
  
'Yes. It is me. I am back in my world now.'  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
'Yes. But our time is short. I cannot talk for long. The bond I shared with you in the forest allows me to communicate with you telepathically. However, I am still very weak. You must hurry.'  
  
"But...but what do I do?"  
  
'You know in your heart...you know the game...trust in your memories...'  
  
"But...my memories are...Tsukasa!"  
  
No response.  
  
"Please, don't go yet!"  
  
The group was down at the base of the tree, looking up. Up at the Red Rose poised to attack the tree house. They continued to scream and pray for a miracle.   
  
"Dammit! Where is she?!" said a now short-tempered Zidane. "She is not gonna die and let it be put on my conscience!"  
  
"M-maybe there were more black mages," said Vivi in fear.  
  
"We must go help her," said Freya. "However, there is a dilemma. Who will stay and guard the townspeople?"  
  
"I will, Lady Freya," a distinctive voice answered. Vivi turned in response to the familiar voice and smiled, which of course, was invisible to anyone but himself.  
  
"Prince Puck!" exclaimed Freya in relief. After they defeated Antlion, the monster who was holding him prisoner, he just vanished. "I am disappointed in you," she said, worried for his safety. "But now is not the time. Please help protect these people and his Highness."  
  
"You can count on me!" he said, saluting.  
  
"Let's go!" said Zidane, as he led the way. Up ahead they noticed that it might take a while to get to me since they didn't know where I was, and the black mages did do some damage. Enough damage that debris covered the walkways.  
  
  
  
I sighed in defeat. "I...I'm not sure. I'm sorry, Tsukasa," I said, looking at the ocarina. Just then it glistened again, as if it were responding to me. Then suddenly, I had a memory come into my mind. Tsukasa...and his ocarina. The power of the ocarina...  
  
"That's it!" I said. "Now let's see..." I closed my eyes and held the ocarina to my chest, concentrating hard, trying to focus on my destination. There. I took in a deep breath. The wind around me swirled creating halos rising around my body and I dissolved into the void. Suddenly, Zidane, Freya and Vivi came to the very spot where I had just teleported.   
  
"Huff, heave She...was...I...left her...here..." said Vivi, between breaths.   
  
"Well, she's not here now. Let's keep looking," said Zidane.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile in Summit Station...  
  
  
  
"Princess! Where are you going?!" said Steiner, being annoying and obnoxious like usual in the station, where they had just run into Tantalus.  
  
"Somewhere to be alone," she stated, and walked outside.   
  
"A...Alone, majesty?"  
  
"Yes, Steiner. Please, let me have some peace."  
  
Steiner shrunk back, feeling hurt and proceeded back inside. "As you wish, princess..."  
  
She looked in the corner of her eye to make sure he went all the way in and proceeded to a side railing, observing the ground below her. She sighed deeply. "Zidane...where are you now?" Suddenly, she gasped and let out a tiny scream as she felt a large gust of wind emanate near her. Her eyes widened as they began to focus on large ascending rings, and then a body inside them. I opened my eyes and removed the ocarina from my chest, and the rings disappeared. I looked at her and could tell she was almost ready to scream again.   
  
"No. Please don't, princess. I am a friend."  
  
"Hmph. Everyone seems to know I'm a princess, so how do I know you're a friend?"  
  
I smiled at her cleverness. "I am currently teamed up with Zidane, Freya and Vivi."  
  
Her eyes widened in shock. "Zidane?" she blushed. "And Freya and Vivi?" she said in attempt to cover up her emotions. "How do you know them? I've never seen you before."  
  
"I know, your majesty. It is quite a long story. I will have to explain it later." Just then, a frantic knight stumbled out of the small food station. "PRINCESS!!!!"  
  
Oh brother... I thought in embarrassment, even a little for Garnet.  
  
He stopped in his tracks, putting on a face of determination. "I heard you scream and gallantly have come to your rescue. Who is this, Princess?" he said, finally eyeing me. "Someone trying to harm you? I will protect you from this knave!" he said pulling his broad sword from the sheath simultaneously.  
  
Garnet moved her hand to stop his sword. "That won't be necessary, Steiner. Now, please be quiet for a moment. This girl..." she directed her attention to me. "My apologies, I mean, I'm sorry...I don't even know your name."  
  
"Oh, do forgive me, your highness. I am Xirkyn."  
  
She nodded. "Xirkyn has a message to deliver, Steiner, so please control yourself for a moment." She nodded back at me, once she got an affirmative look from Steiner.  
  
"Princess, you must come with me to Cleyra."  
  
Her eyes widened.   
  
"WHAT?! Are you attempting to kidnap the princess!!? you knave!" interrupted Steiner.  
  
"Not at all. Princess, it's about Queen Brahne..."  
  
"Mother..." she said with regret and uncertainty.  
  
"As you well know, she had extracted all of your eidolons one night while you were sleeping. I do believe she used a sleeping weed on you, a strong one."  
  
"How do you know all of this!? How do we know you're not lying?"  
  
I rolled my eyes internally. "Steiner, if I may refer to you as such, I cannot explain my abilities at this time as death and destruction lie just before us."  
  
"What?" said Garnet.  
  
"Your majesty, she plans to use Odin to obliterate the city of Cleyra..." I said in regret.  
  
"Oh no! What can we do?? We have no way to get there. The train won't take us back," she said.  
  
"There is a way..." I said, hesistantly. "I am able to transport us there with this," I said and held out the sprite ocarina. They both looked at it in confusion. Before they had a chance to quiz me more, I spoke again. "We must huddle close for the teleportation to work." Steiner gave me an uncomfortable look. "I know how you feel, trust me. But, there is no time to think. We must hurry!" With that, Garnet joined my side and motioned at Steiner to 'step on it.' I felt their eyes watching me as I held the ocarina against my chest and once again, closed my eyes and concentrated on getting us back to Cleyra.   
  
*********************************************************************************  
  
We got there safely. The members of my party looked down from the higher level, sensing the strong winds. They practically jumped out of their skin when they saw three sets of ringlets followed by our forms. They ran down in excitement and confusion.  
  
Zidane ran down and didn't even acknowledge my safety. "Dagger!" he said, embracing her tightly. Steiner fumed.   
  
Freya approached, followed by Vivi. "Are you alright, Xirkyn? We were so worried," said Vivi.   
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. I brought reinforcements," I said, winking at Steiner.   
  
"Master Vivi!" he said happily.  
  
"Freya..." I said, approaching her. "Is everyone alright?"  
  
She looked at me momentarily, trying to understand the improbability of the whole situation, then responded. "Indeed. Prince Puck is down below taking care of the villagers."  
  
"Excellent."  
  
Meanwhile, Zidane was going on about Garnet. "I've missed you while you were gone..." he said, bravely, holding her hands in his.  
  
"I..." she blushed.  
  
Suddenly, a loud voice could be heard. "OH, HOW TOUCHING. A REUNION. UNHAND MY DAUGHTER OR ELSE, YOU FOOLS!" It was Brahne.  
  
Garnet eased her hands out of Zidane's and directed her attention above. "No, Mother! I will not return with you acting so strangely!" Garnet shouted back.  
  
The queen let out a loud sigh that could be heard over the intercom. "Dear, how you disappoint me. Very well. ODIN!"  
  
Garnet gasped.   
  
"Garnet!"  
  
She turned to me.  
  
"Now is the time!" I said.  
  
"Wh-What do I do?"  
  
Everyone looked at me in confusion, and perhaps jealously. Their attention was directed elsewhere however, as Odin emerged from a dark, ominous cloud in the sky.  
  
"Remember, Garnet. You are NOT afraid of your eidolons. Say it." I looked right at her. She could not meet her gaze with mine.  
  
"I...."  
  
"Garnet," I said, taking her hands in mine, causing her to look into my eyes. "You can do this. You are their master. You are in control. Not them. Do you understand?" I gave her a look of determination that brought her courage back.  
  
"Okay," she said. She turned, noticing Odin raising his Zantetsuken, ready to release his fireball attack.  
  
"NO! STOP! ODIN! I command you!"  
  
Odin halted.  
  
"WHAT?!" said a pissed and baffled Brahne.  
  
"You cannot hurt this dwelling. It belongs to a large family that resides here."  
  
Odin looked back at Garnet in misapprehension.   
  
"Please, Odin. My mother doesn't care about you. She is using you for your power. Please, trust in me, Odin."  
  
Now, the Great Odin was even more confused. However, he was able to look down and point out the voice of his master. He smiled back at the little brunette beauty in the orange bodysuit. "Very well, Garnet." And his sword dropped down from attack mode.  
  
"What?! ODIN! Attack! I command you!!!" shouted an angry Brahne.  
  
Odin turned. "You, I don't need," he said, raising his Zantetsuken once more.  
  
"NO! Odin! Don't! She's my mother! I will handle it!"  
  
Odin turned back to face his master. Poor horse. "Are you certain, your Highness?"  
  
"Yes. I'm very grateful for your help. Thank you. You are free to go." Odin nodded in affirmation and disappeared in the same cloud as before.  
  
"YOU FOOLISH CHILD!!!! This isn't the end! I will have you back before this is over, young lady! You wait and see!" And with that the Red Rose sputtered off with great haste.  
  
"Dagger! Are you alright?!" said Zidane, almost shoving me out of his way to get to Garnet. I rolled my eyes in disgust. For goodness sake, she only debated an issue. It's not like she got wounded by negotiations. The odds were indeed with her. What a hopeless, lovesick fool...  
  
Garnet smiled back at him while I quietly gagged. "Yes, Zidane, I..." she said, smilingly sweetly at him. "I'm sorry that I wondered off like I did..." she said, referring to the incident in Lindblum.  
  
"You really had me worried. Not even saying goodbye..." he said, taking her hands in his again. Garnet gasped and blushed simultaneously.  
  
Heh. Wonder how long this will last, I thought, watching the two naive figures. Just then I heard a soft clanking sound, increasing in volume. Ha ha, apparently not that long, I smiled.  
  
"Unhand her, you scoundrel!"   
  
"Give it a rest, Rusty. Can't you see we're having a Kodak moment?" Zidane said, never taking his alluring eyes off of Garnet, smiling at her with longing. She blushed a deeper red and smiled back.  
  
Oh, gods. I put my hand to my brow. How cheesy... I thought.  
  
"If you want to keep your hands, you best release her majesty," Steiner warned, steadying his sword. A hand gently gripped his arm.  
  
"Steiner, don't be ridiculous," said Freya. "If I'm correct, it is against your code to perform such a ruthless act."  
  
"Yeah," said Zidane, finally looking away and gazing at the corroded armor. "Besides, you would be no better than me, then. Right, Tin Can?"  
  
"Grrr..." said Steiner, whiting his knuckles against the hilt of his sword, restraining himself as best he could.  
  
I watched as the airship sailed away into the depths of the Mist. I blinked in awe. "I...can't believe it..."  
  
"What is it?" said Vivi, the only one not engaged in the other conversation, therefore the only one listening.  
  
I looked down at Vivi and smiled. "Vivi, you're such a great friend."  
  
If it could be seen, Vivi was blushing a bright red.   
  
"Vivi, you don't need to be embarrassed. I really like you. I hold great trust in you, more than anyone else in the party."  
  
"gulp R-really? Even more than Garnet?"  
  
"Really. Besides," I rubbed his shoulder, taking him aside. "I don't really know Garnet that well."  
  
"B-but I thought you were a psychic..." said Vivi, apparently the only person comprehending the meaning of that word. My smile faded as I realized I was facing defeat. "Vivi, let me tell you something about Garnet."  
  
"A-alright," he said, hands shaking nervously. I laughed on the inside. He's so cute.   
  
"Garnet is a good princess. However, sometimes her judgment is a little off, especially when it comes to ruling a kingdom. I know this from experience..."  
  
"W-what do you mean?" said Vivi, confused.  
  
I knelt down in front of Vivi, meeting him at eye level. "Vivi, I'm about to tell you something that you must not tell anyone. If this gets out, I could be executed."  
  
Vivi had been blushing a deep crimson ever since I got close to him, and now it was even deeper. "Gulp Okay..."  
  
"I have been transported to your world by a disturbance of abnormal weather patterns," I said, realizing that he was a little simple-minded since I was from the distant future. "This disturbance caused my friend and I to travel back to your world."  
  
"Oh, okay," said Vivi. "What's so strange about that?"  
  
I sighed deeply, trying to think of a way to break it to him easy. I sat down beside him and smiled. "Vivi, have you ever had a dream?"  
  
Vivi slumped down. "Y-yeah..."  
  
"Well," I said, pulling up my legs and wrapping my arms around. I looked up at the sky and saw constellations that I was unfamiliar to, along with two moons, one red and one blue. "It's like I'm dreaming. And I once dreamed of coming here and meeting you all."  
  
"Oh..." said Vivi, trying to understand.   
  
"Believe it or not, you are all legends where I'm from."  
  
"Really? D-does that mean that we're all dead in your time?"  
  
My eyes widened in surprise. I turned to him. "Aww, Vivi. I am many, many years in the future. Don't worry. You guys aren't gonna die anytime soon," I said, and then turned my head. 'At least, I'll try my best,' I thought. Suddenly, I felt something staring at me. I looked over and saw Vivi looking right at me. I smiled, trying not to look uncomfortable.  
  
"Are...the people where you're from...are there some that other people make fun of?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm one of those. I think there is always someone out there who's trying to make anyone miserable because they don't have anything better to do with their life."  
  
"U-uh huh..." said Vivi, quickly.  
  
I looked away. "Vivi, it shouldn't matter what people think about you. You shouldn't worry yourself with that, but rather have self-confidence."  
  
Vivi eyes widened. "Xirkyn..."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"I like you. You're a really nice person." I blushed. "You have a unique way of viewing things," he finished.  
  
I shrugged. "Well, I've made many mistakes like everyone..."  
  
"No, that's not what I mean. It's just...you're the first person who sees things the way I do..."  
  
"That's a good thing, right?" I smiled.  
  
"Yeah," said Vivi, who in turn smiled, unnoticed.   
  
"Alright people. Let's move," I heard Zidane say.  
  
"Where are we going?" asked Garnet.  
  
"Anywhere you wanna go, my-"  
  
"Garnet, come with me. I wanted to talk to you about something," I said, cutting in front of Zidane.  
  
"Gaahhaa!!!" said Zidane. "Can't you have your 'girl talk' later?"  
  
I narrowed my eyes at him dangerously, and then jerked Garnet away. "W-what?" she said in surprise, when we were away from the crowd.  
  
"Garnet...I must know...what do you intend to do now?"  
  
"Hmmm..." she said, putting a fist to her bottom lip. "I'm really worried about Mother. Why would she attack Cleyra like that?"  
  
"Because...someone is controlling her..."  
  
Garnet's eyes darted up. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Just what I said. Hasn't she been acting differently lately?"  
  
"...Yes," she said, hesistantly, looking me over suspiciously.  
  
"For how long?"  
  
Garnet looked down. "Well...about a month before I escaped..."  
  
"You mean before you were kidnapped by Tantalus?"  
  
Garnet rolled her eyes. She whispered to me. "They didn't kidnap me. They couldn't kidnap an oglop! I just felt like it was my chance to leave and so I took it."  
  
"How long do you think we'll be playing the secret game?" asked Zidane to anyone. Freya rolled her eyes.   
  
"If you open your mouth one more time I swear I will cut your tongue out with my sword," said Steiner.  
  
"Those are some pretty strong words comin' from a rusty old windbag," said Zidane nonchalantly.  
  
"WHAT?!" said Steiner.  
  
"So, where shall we go?" interrupted Freya, as she noticed Garnet and I coming back over.  
  
"I feel that Mother is very ill. I still need answers. I must go and speak with her."  
  
"Are you sure about that, Dagger? She just tried to kill us!" said Zidane.  
  
"That may be true, but she is my mother," she said.   
  
"Then it is settled. Onward to Alexandria!" said Steiner, raising his sword.  
  
Zidane winced. "Do you hafta do that? Does it make you feel superior or something?" Steiner brought down his sword and shook a fist silently.  
  
"Hmph. It's no different from what you do," justified Freya.  
  
"What is THAT supposed to mean?" said Zidane.  
  
Garnet and I laughed discreetly at the insult. Zidane turned and I quickly put on a straight face. "Okay, so I saw those black mages leave in those portal-sphere thingies. Does anybody see one?"  
  
"I think they're all gone now..." said Vivi in regret.  
  
"Alright then. It looks like we'll need someone to ride a chocobo and get Cid to bring an airship..." said Zidane.  
  
"Always doing things the hard way..." I said with a grin.  
  
"Oh, and I suppose YOU have the solution?" he said, annoyed, much to my delight.  
  
"Yes, actually."  
  
"What do you intend to do?" asked Steiner, apparently forming an alliance with me, judging that I hated Zidane as much as he did.   
  
"Well..." I said, hesitating. 'Listen to your heart. It knows the way...' I smiled. "Okay. So everyone gather around me and take each other by the hand." Everyone did as they were told, all except for Zidane and Steiner, who were having trouble excepting that they had to hold hands.   
  
"Oh, for goodness sake," said Freya, stepping between the two.   
  
"Alright," I said, pulling out my sprite ocarina. "So, someone grab hold of my arm." As I felt a hand grasp my arm I closed my eyes. I held the ocarina tight to my chest and meditated. I pictured Alexandria in the back of my mind, preparing the route of my destination. The air around me swirled quickly and then it stopped, just like before. I opened my eyes.   
  
"What just happened?" said Freya.  
  
"Did we go anywhere?" said Vivi.  
  
"No. I think we're still in Cleyra," said Garnet.  
  
"Hey, are you sure you know what you're doing?" said Zidane, unsure.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want me to reveal your fate?" I said. Zidane backed off. 'Now what went wrong? I did everything right...Unless...' I turned to the group. "Alright. Here's the plan. I can take us all to Alexandria. However, since I was not able to detect the capacity of travel, we are at a disadvantage."  
  
"So, are we able to get to Alexandria at the same time?" asked Freya.  
  
"Yes, but, in small doses..."  
  
"What?! Do you intend to dehydrate our bodies into salts?!" asked a frightened Steiner.  
  
"No, you dolt. She means individually," said Zidane, and again Steiner shook both fists at him.  
  
"I am only able to take two others with me at a time. So, who will be first?"  
  
"I will."  
  
"I will."  
  
Zidane winced. "I don't wanna go with you!"  
  
Steiner exchanged his glance. "Well, I don't want to go with you either, you scoundrel!"  
  
"Gentlemen, we do not have time for this childish talk. Let's go," I said. They each took my hand and the wind rushed once more and we disappeared.  
  
"Amazing," said Vivi. Freya and Garnet looked on in surprise. "Do you think they'll come back for us?" said Garnet.  
  
"Certainly," said Freya.  
  
"What do you think of this girl?" asked Garnet.  
  
"Xirkyn?" She nodded. "I am not sure what her motives are currently, but from what I understand, she decided on her own to travel with us. I haven't detected any sign of rebellion," said Freya.  
  
"She's in search of her friend."  
  
Garnet turned. "What friend, Vivi?"  
  
"Th-the friend that she said was missing when she appeared in front of us."  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Garnet.  
  
"It's a long story," said Freya.   
  
"So, what you're saying is..." Garnet trailed off.  
  
"She will come back for us," said Vivi. "I am sure of it. Even though I don't know why she is here, I trust her."  
  
Suddenly, I appeared back in front of them, with the wind swirling around me quickly dissolving.  
  
"Where are the others?" asked Freya.  
  
"I had them wait outside the castle gates for us. Now, let's go." I grabbed both Freya and Garnet's hands and we were off. We appeared in that very area where I specified. Our eyes widened as we saw Zidane hiding behind someone, shielding himself from a very heated Steiner.  
  
"Sigh Zidane, what did you do this time?" I asked.  
  
"Nothing!" he said innocently.  
  
"I really find that hard to believe," said Freya.  
  
"This pathetic excuse for a human being is stealing from the market!" yelled Steiner.  
  
"Hey, I didn't steal anything. Just borrowed," said Zidane, with a wink at Garnet. Freya and I rolled our eyes in unison.   
  
"Why, you!" started Steiner.  
  
"Steiner, calm down. I'll have it taken care of, agreed?"  
  
Steiner tried to compose himself. "Yes, princess." He suddenly began looking around. "Where is Master Vivi?" he asked in confusion.  
  
"Oh, I almost forgot with you two bickering," I said. "I'll be right back." I left them and told them to wait and that I'd be right there. The wind stopped rushing by and I opened my eyes. I looked around. I landed in the exact same spot, but Vivi was nowhere to be found. My body suddenly sent shivers of anxiety and danger through me. "Vivi? Vivi! Please answer! VIVI!!!!!!!!"   
  
Suddenly, an arrow came down, grazing my cheek. I winced at the light cut that now dripped a line of blood across my face. I turned around quickly and saw an object in the air. I squinted my vision to reveal a flying creature in the distance. Soon, the creature vanished into the sky. I turned back around and looked down to reveal the arrow piercing something. I reached down and my eyes widened. It was another letter.  
  
"We have your precious fiery friend. If you wish to see him alive you will come to the Iifa Tree or else. And I suggest you decide quickly, because my master's patience isn't everlasting."  
  
"This handwriting again," I thought. "But why?" I quickly held up the ocarina and transported myself back to Alexandria.  
  
"At last! I am free! I can't stand another minute with this heathen! Princess! We must go!" said Steiner cheerfully.  
  
"Ouch! Steiner, calm down! You're hurting me," said Garnet, wincing at the tight grip he had on her wrist and forcibly jerking her towards the castle.  
  
"Well that's fine with me. I'd rather not be seen with such rusty armor," said Zidane. "If anybody needs me, I'll be at the pub."  
  
"Hmph. Then I guess we'll bring you a barf bag and a carriage shortly," said Garnet.  
  
"Er, uh, what I meant was that, uh..." said Zidane.   
  
Garnet folded her arms impatiently. "I'm waiting for your brilliant excuse."  
  
"Gah...Dagger, I was only gonna go find my friends."  
  
"Oh, those friends that always get you into trouble," stated Garnet.  
  
"Yeah, those- hey, no! That's not funny, Dagger..."  
  
"Well I thought it was..."   
  
"Hey, put a cork in it, Rusty!"  
  
"How about you all be quiet."  
  
Everyone shut up right then to a dominating voice that could only belong to the one that was quiet until this very moment. Everyone looked at Freya. "Truly, I feel like I'm hanging around little children. Can't you all just get along for a few moments? Xirkyn will be back any minute. Therefore, it's not wise for you all to go off anywhere. She told us to wait," finished Freya.  
  
"Oh, and I suppose you hang on to her every word?"  
  
"Watch it, monkey boy," she said, gripping her lance.  
  
"Gulp," said Zidane. His eyes widened as he saw a shadow in the distance. I scuffed my feet at the dirt, my head held far from high- it was practically sweeping the street, as low as it was riding.  
  
"Why the long face, Miss Gypsy?" Zidane mocked with a smile. I looked up at him and then back down.  
  
"Huh? What happened?" said Zidane as his smile faded. I trudged up to Freya. Freya put a hand on my shoulder.  
  
"Xirkyn?" she said. "Where's Vivi?"  
  
"Hey! I was gonna say that!" said Zidane, slightly annoyed. I looked up at Freya and shook my head. "He's...been kidnapped..."  
  
"WHAT!?!" said Zidane and Steiner.  
  
"You LOST Vivi!?" said Zidane.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?!" started Steiner.  
  
"Now, now, gentleman," said Freya. "I'm sure that she didn't mean for it to happen-"  
  
"The hell she didn't!" said Zidane. "She's been against us this whole time! I knew she was hiding something! Go ahead, try and kidnap me!"   
  
"Ordinarily, I'd strike Zidane for such rude antics, but I honestly don't know what to make of this. How could anyone be so careless?"  
  
"Steiner!" snapped Garnet. She tried to smile at me as she walked over. "Please, try and tell us what happened." I raised my heavy head and looked at her innocent face.   
  
She gasped. "Xirkyn! Your face!" At that moment they all took notice of my severed cheek. I swallowed thickly as the tears threatened to spill over. "I know not who is the culprit of this deed."  
  
"Oh, well that's just great....Ow!" He glared over at Freya. "What was THAT for?!"  
  
"Zidane, if you would just keep your smartass remarks to yourself for a while," said Freya.   
  
"However, I know what we must do..." I said, removing the letter from my pocket. Suddenly, my concentration was interrupted by a rapid tapping of a foot. "Which is??"  
  
I glared at Zidane. "We must set out to the Iifa Tree soon. That is where we will find Vivi."  
  
"The Iifa Tree? Where is that?" asked Garnet.  
  
"It is not of the Mist Continent, but of the continent to the north. The Outer Continent, I believe it is called."  
  
"And what of that cut?"  
  
I ran my hand along my face. "Oh, it's nothing. I tripped. I'm sorry to have kept everyone waiting."  
  
"Well, it's nothing out of the ordinary," said Zidane, after he was well out of Freya's reach. "Ow!" Too bad he was right next to Steiner.  
  
"So, you're worried about Vivi, are you not?" asked Garnet, as we walked across the bridge into the castle.  
  
"Yes, but, somehow I believe that he will be alright, despite the urgency."  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked.  
  
I shrugged. "For some reason, I really don't think the culprit is interested in Vivi's death..." I trailed off, sensing danger. I stopped.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
I looked around. The others were far ahead of us. "C'mon!" I said, taking her hand and running. Along the way, my foot happened to get stuck in a bad place in the floor. Garnet turned. "Don't worry about me!" I said. "Keep going! Catch up to the others!" She nodded and fled. I struggled for a minute but not too long, for I was overwhelmed by a rush of pink and blue. "Aw, man," I said, rolling my eyes.  
  
The group stopped in a big dark room. "Okay, so where to, Rusty?"  
  
"Stop calling me that! Where is the princess?"  
  
"Right here. I must speak with my mother."  
  
"And so you shall my dear," came an eerie booming voice. The lights brightened to reveal a large 'dungeon-like' room in the lower parts of the castle.  
  
"Mother!"   
  
"Garnet, my dear child, how nice of you to come home to me...after you made me chase you down, nonetheless..."  
  
"Your highness, my apologies. I tried to bring her back, but she simply refused. I don't know what to do with her majesty. She doesn't listen to-"  
  
"SILENCE!"  
  
Steiner whimpered.   
  
"Well, it's not everyday I get to have an audience with you all," said Brahne. "And it seems that I'm in for a special treat today."  
  
"What do you mean?" said Zidane.  
  
"Oh, well simply that my dear Garnet has returned. And, even if she does get away from me again, this time I'll be able to track her every move."  
  
"Oh? And how is that?" said Zidane, not amused.  
  
The fat queen thrust her hands wildly in the air at practically nothing. "Zorn! Thorn!" Suddenly, a light came on in a corner behind her. A person was chained up against the wall by their arms and legs.   
  
"Oh no!" said Freya. "Xirkyn!" Yep, sure enough, I got caught. What?! It happens to everybody!  
  
Zidane took a glance behind the elephant lady. "Ah, DAMMIT!!!" he said, kicking his foot hard at the ground, cracking it.   
  
"What!? You're not happy to see me?" I said, a little angered.  
  
"You two," said Brahne. "Keep them busy."  
  
"Your wish is my command, Majesty!" said Zorn.  
  
"My command is your wish, Majesty!" said Thorn.  
  
The two quickly summoned up some sort of magic while the fighters were pacing in their battle stance. Suddenly, the magic took shape and made a circle around the party and drew itself in, tightening around the group.  
  
"Ah! Man, Rusty, your armor smells like old cheese!"  
  
"I'm sure it's better than how you smell!"  
  
"Shut up you two!" said Garnet and Freya to their surprise.  
  
"What shall we do with them?" asked Zorn.  
  
"Ultimately destroy them, should we not?" asked Thorn.  
  
"Man, I'd rather be shot than listen to these two..." said Zidane.  
  
"Shut up, filth!" said the two jesters.  
  
Meanwhile, Brahne was working her way over to me. Her smile couldn't get any uglier, as I was about to puke from her waddling. "Oof!" I said, surprised at feeling pain before she was even close to me. I turned my head regretfully to the direction of the punch.   
  
"You really shouldn't be fighting against us. It's hopeless," said the warrior, as she tossed her hair with her right hand.  
  
"Don't bother with her, Beatrix. She's no match for you," said Brahne. "I won't bore you with this pathetic vessel," she said as she approached me. I spit in her face, as revolting as it was to look at. "Aah!" I said, crying out in pain, as Beatrix gashed me in the side with her deadly Save the Queen. "Doing such a thing to the Queen is not wise," said Beatrix, handing Brahne a sterile cloth.  
  
"Thank you, Beatrix," she said, almost weeping over the tiny fluid that ran across her face that was now wiped away. "Now, what did you plan to accomplish back there? Hmm?"  
  
I looked at her in disgust. I found myself crying out in pain as Beatrix punched me in the stomach yet again. "If you are to live long, you shall answer."  
  
I cringed. "I know not what you mean..." I said carefully, only being able to endure so much pain.  
  
"Oh, yes you do..." said Brahne, beginning to form her trademark evil smile. "In Cleyra..." she said, looking at me. My eyes widened. "Now, do you remember?"  
  
"I..." I jumped, feeling an inkling of pain shoot through me. "I remember you trying to hurt my friends! Aah!" I felt Beatrix punch me again, and realized I should watch my tone of voice.  
  
"Oh? The Cleyrans are your friends? I'm so sorry...I had no idea...Nor do I care..." She suddenly heard a loud thump and turned.   
  
"What?! Your stupid servants can't keep us down for long," said Zidane. They were standing only a few feet away. He glared at the other figure. "Beatrix..."  
  
She winked. "Greetings to you as well. Did you miss me in Burmecia?"  
  
"Grrr..." said Zidane as he and Freya both cringed in anger.  
  
"Zidane." Zidane turned to the voice. "You and your friends had best stay back, unless you think you all can endure Beatrix again," said Brahne. The party didn't make a move, realizing they were no match for Beatrix.  
  
She turned back towards me. "Now where were we? Ah, yes. So, where did you come from? From where I'm standing, you have quite a bit of power within you. Very interesting...in case I may want to extract it for myself."  
  
"Mother, no!"  
  
Brahne ignored Garnet's voice. "Do what you will with me, but do not harm my friends."  
  
"Ha! And what per say, do they have that I could possibly want? Now that I have you-" Brahne stopped. She pulled out a weapon- It was my screwdriver! She must have stolen it! I thought. With my weapon in hand, she approached me, and put it to my throat. Unfortunately for her, it didn't transform properly, and resembled that of a dagger, rather than a buster sword, which is what my sword normally looks like. "Come to think of it," she continued, "It was rather rude of you to ruin my plans for Garnet."  
  
"What?" said Garnet, shocked.  
  
"I needed her eidolons, and because of you, I was unable to extract them from her!"  
  
"Mother, what are you saying?!"  
  
"Then, how could you..." wondered Zidane.  
  
Brahne continued, almost answering Zidane's unfinished question. "Odin is a unique monster, in that he is very independent, and very open-minded. Therefore, I had the power and I was able to call upon him at that moment!"   
  
"Oh..." said Zidane.  
  
"And you actually thought you had control? My friends would have eventually stopped you," I said.  
  
"Oh? How can you be so sure?" she asked. She then turned to look at Garnet, who was brimming with tears. "Mother...how...could you!"  
  
I struggled to hold my head up. "You guys should...get outta here while you can...leave me..."  
  
"No! We need you!" said Freya.  
  
"Yeah, and there's no way I'd leave you on my conscience," said Zidane.  
  
"Gee, thanks," I said, rolling my eyes.  
  
"SILENCE! No one leaves this room!"  
  
"Your Majesty, a word, if I may..."  
  
"What is it, you incompetent fool!?"  
  
Steiner stepped forward cautiously. "Your majesty, are you ill? What is the matter with you?"  
  
"What?! You think I have a problem, do you?! I am perfectly fine! Beatrix and I are better off without you!"  
  
"What? Majesty, why are you acting this way?" said Steiner.  
  
"It's no use, Rusty. She's gone. She's not the same queen you remember."  
  
Steiner regretfully turned his head. To Zidane's reply, he didn't shout an insult. "I know, Zidane, but I must try." Zidane's eyes widened in shock. 'Did he just say something somewhat nice to me?' he thought.  
  
"I'd consider myself being very civil, since I haven't ordered Beatrix to destroy you. I have what I want. Garnet is no longer an issue. This is your chance to leave!"   
  
"Mother......I HATE YOU!!!!" said Garnet, overflowing with tears.   
  
"Princess..." said Steiner. The moment he put a hand on her shoulder she threw herself into his armor, weeping.  
  
"Dammit, lady! You suck!" said Zidane.  
  
I closed my eyes tightly. 'Why is this happening? I didn't want to come here! Why? Why now?!' I heard my voice cry out, "Zidane! Get outta here! This is your chance! I won't utter a word to her, I swear it! Leave now, before it's too late!"  
  
"No!"  
  
I opened my eyes in surprise. "What?"  
  
Zidane folded his arms. "Regardless of what you may think about me, I'm not leaving you here."  
  
"Huh?" I said, my eyes filling with tears.  
  
"Zidane?" said Freya.  
  
"Oh, well, if it isn't the hero of all heroes. Remind me to give you a medal if you escape here alive, kid," said Brahne. "What do you intend to do? From the looks of you, you don't seem like you're ready for Beatrix."  
  
"Zidane, this is crazy!" I said. I looked at him, and he was looking down.  
  
"I know...that's why I trust it." He raised his head. "C'mon Xirkyn! You gotta be brave! We'll figure out something!"  
  
I clenched my teeth, wondering what Brahne would do. "Idiots! Beatrix, take care of them!" And just then, a loud, piercing noise erupted.  
  
"Eaaaagggghh! STOP! Stop that sound! I'm going deaf!"  
  
"Your majesty!" said Beatrix, attempting to go aid her, but something made her stop. The noise ceased.  
  
"Ow, geez, what was that?" said Zidane, uncovering his ears, as well as everyone else. He suddenly saw a strange glow. "What the hell?"  
  
I opened my eyes. The dagger had pierced my skin slightly, and my neck was bleeding. However, I didn't care about that. I gasped. "The...light..."  
  
'I shall always protect you...' I heard a mysterious voice say.  
  
"Tsukasa?!" I said aloud.  
  
'No...it's...' Tsukasa replied, not finishing.  
  
"What do I do?!" I cried out. "Aaah!" Suddenly, the light increased in brightness, and I finally realized where the source was coming from. The gem in my hilt was glowing with the color of fire! It happened so fast. I never closed my eyes, though. Something came out of the dagger, and it hit Brahne. At that moment, I wasn't sure what it was.  
  
"Majesty!" I heard Beatrix scream, as she dropped her guard on me. My vision was clearing as I noticed the large transparent object.   
  
"What the hell IS that thing!?" I heard Zidane say.  
  
"Unbelievable," said Freya.  
  
"Is it gonna eat us?" said Steiner. Garnet was still in his arms, watching quietly.  
  
I sighed. My eyes lit up in wonder. "Guardian..." I said.   
  
"What is this thing?! Destroy it!!!" said Brahne, stepping backward uneasily. Beatrix hurried over.  
  
"Guardian! Save me!" Within a second of my voice, there was a loud roaring sound, and I sensed it was the monster.   
  
"Eaaaagggghhhh!!!!!!" screamed Brahne. Her body fell to the ground, and my guardian disappeared.  
  
"No! Majesty!" said Beatrix. She glared at me dangerously. "You shall pay for your actions, you wretched creature!"  
  
"You better go through us, first, sister!" said Zidane as the crew lined up to fight her.  
  
"Very well," said Beatrix, tossing her hair back. "So eager to die...this should be fun..." she said, trying not to yawn. She hit them with a Climhazzard that knocked them good. I watched as they all healed quickly, but she was still stronger than them. They fought galantly, however, she counterattacked with Shock. "It's been a delight playing with you all..." she said, ready to deliver the final blow. She raised her sword, knowing that one more blow could be fatal, but she cared not. "Farewell," she said. Something suddenly came rushing fast behind her and hit her directly in the head. Her eyes began to get heavy, as she approached unconsciousness. "Hitting a lady from behind? How...uncivilized..." she mumbled, and abruptly found the floor. Everyone looked up and their eyes widened in surprise to find that I was the victor.  
  
"What did you do?!" said Zidane.  
  
"Not to worry," I said. "I merely dealt her a blow by my hilt. She's only knocked out."  
  
"But...how did you...?" he continued.  
  
"My Guardian...he saved me," I said.  
  
"Where is he now?" asked Freya.  
  
"Oh, he disappeared. He won't come back unless I'm in serious danger like that again." Zidane was still in deep shock and his mouth was dragging on the floor.  
  
"Xirkyn, why didn't you tell us you had a guardian?" asked Garnet.  
  
I looked down at the garnet in my hilt. "Truthfully," I said to the stone, "I wasn't sure if he would come." I looked up at her. "I've only had him for a few days now." I walked up to Beatrix and pulled something out of a pouch I was carrying. I began to sprinkle something on her.  
  
"Egad! What are you doing now?!"  
  
"Calm down, Steiner. This is sleeping dust. I found it in the forest and ground it from sleeping weed."  
  
"And who taught ya that?" asked Zidane.  
  
I smiled at him. "You're not the only one that gets around. I figured it out, silly."  
  
"Hmph. Figures..." he said.  
  
"Yes. And I mixed something in with it, so that if she was lead or infected by any evil, she should be cured of it now, and perhaps we can reason with her."  
  
Garnet gasped. "But what of my mother!? Is she dead?!"  
  
"Don't worry, Garnet. She is only in a deep unconsciousness. She will come around in a couple days. She probably won't remember a thing."  
  
"So...this guardian..."  
  
"Yes?" I said, turning to Zidane.  
  
"It won't try and kill us, will it?"  
  
I giggled. "Of course not. I'm sure it knows that we are working together. It won't fight you as long as I command it."  
  
"Well good!" he said, coming over and hitting me hard on the back. "Huh?" he said, at my fall.  
  
"Zidane!" said Garnet harshly.  
  
"You idiot! Use your head! She's been chained up and beaten brutally! I'm surprised she can stand up!" said Freya.  
  
"Oh yeah. Sorry," he said, offering me a hand. I suddenly got the feeling of deja vu of the first day we met as he pulled me up and smiled at me.  
  
"That was really brave of you all..." I said, blushing.  
  
Everyone looked at me confused.  
  
"You could of just left me there," I said.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous! We wouldn't do that!" said Steiner.  
  
"Yeah, and besides, if what the elephant lady says is true, we sure don't want your powers getting into the wrong hands," said Zidane.  
  
"Thanks," I smiled at him.  
  
"Well, shall we go?" he said.  
  
"No..." I said to everyone's surprise. "I must speak with Beatrix.  
  
"Are you nuts?! She hates us!" said Zidane.  
  
"I'm not so sure..." I said, turning to her. I grabbed a bottle of water out of my pocket. Funny how I've become so prepared lately.  
  
"Where'd that come from?" asked Freya.  
  
"Oh, I picked it up while we were in Cleyra thinking I may need it." I sat down next to Beatrix. Suddenly, her body began to shift. I helped her raise up. She fluttered her eyes and focused her vision on me. She startled. "You!" she said in complete comprehension.  
  
"No, wait, hold on," I said, comforting.  
  
"You killed the queen, you traitor!"  
  
"No, honestly, she's fine. Please, calm down and hear me out," I said, handing her the water.  
  
She flinched and took the bottle. "This better not be poison," she said just as she started drinking it. "Actually, it's quite good," she said.  
  
"General Beatrix," I said. "I did not come here to harm your queen. I came here with Princess Garnet in hopes of some answers."  
  
Garnet stepped up. "Beatrix, is something troubling Mother?"  
  
Beatrix looked at Garnet and her gaze softened. She hesitated. "She has been acting very strange, Majesty. I have been wondering for quite some time, but realized that it is not my duty to worry about such things and that I might lose my head in the process. I'm sorry, Princess."  
  
Garnet shook her head. "Don't be," she smiled. "You were only doing what is to be expected. Please, Beatrix, tell me...is someone controlling Mother?"  
  
Beatrix turned her head. "She has been acting rather peculiar ever since we met with that man in Burmecia..."  
  
'I knew it,' I thought.  
  
"And what were his plans?" asked Zidane.  
  
"I'm not sure..." she said, "but something about gaining a higher power..."  
  
"Hmmm..." said Garnet, not being able to put a finger on it. "Can you stand?" she said.  
  
Beatrix nodded. I helped her raise her up. "General, please forgive me. It was I who attacked you from behind."  
  
She looked at me. "I admire you for your honesty. It is quite alright, I assure you." Her eyes adjusted. "Come now, we must get going."  
  
"Where are we going?" I asked.  
  
"Well, now that the princess has returned, she must stay here and watch after her mother."  
  
"Beatrix..."  
  
Everyone turned to face Garnet. "I...don't want to stay here..."  
  
"You don't?" whined Steiner.  
  
"I need to journey with Xirkyn and find some more answers..."  
  
"What about me?" whined Zidane.  
  
"But, Majesty," Beatrix said with warning.  
  
"I know the dangers will be great, but my heart tells me it is where I must go. We have lost a dear friend and if we do not hurry we may never see him again," she said.  
  
"Well, in that case," started Beatrix.  
  
"Beatrix...do you know of any way to reach the Outer Continent?" asked Freya.  
  
"Hmmm..." said Beatrix, putting a hand to her chin. "I once heard of a cave that could take you there, but it's very dangerous."  
  
"How do we find that cave?" asked Zidane.  
  
"Seek out the marsh. Someone there should be able to tell you the way..."  
  
"Ah, now I remember."  
  
"You know how to get there?" asked Zidane, looking at me.  
  
"Yes, I remember seeing one nearby."  
  
"Alright then! No time to think, let's go!"  
  
"That's definitely the one thing he doesn't do," said Freya under her breath.  
  
"Will you be joining us, Beatrix?" asked Garnet.  
  
"I'm afraid not, Majesty. I must try and find a way to convince her Majesty that she has been misled. You go on ahead. Be careful. Steiner, watch over her, I'm putting my trust in you."  
  
"Yes, General," he said, and they both saluted each other with strong pounds on their chests. 


End file.
